Friday, February 3, 2017
DURANT, OKLA. — Senior shortstop
Susannah Chandler hit .500 over the first two games of the season for the Eastern New Mexico University softball team (0-2), with two homers and a double. The Greyhounds opened play at the Southeastern Oklahoma State Regional Tournament with setbacks against Central Oklahoma (2-0) and Southeastern Oklahoma State (2-0).
In the season opener, the Bronchos overcame a two-for-three performance from senior first baseman
Erikka Burke to defeat ENMU by a 9-1 score. Chandler batted three-for-four with two homers in a 6-5 loss to Southeastern Oklahoma State.
"I'm disappointed in the way the first two games ended up, but I'm not disappointed in the effort my girls put forward," said Head Coach
Katie Welborn. "We're a relatively young team, and very new group of girls playing together. We are still finding our footing. Once we find it, it will be some fun softball to watch. Susie Chandler came out strong in the second game, we need that aggressiveness and power coming out tomorrow."
Against Central Oklahoma
Freshman pitcher
Kaylee Rogers allowed just three earned runs over six innings and fanned three for the Greyhounds. Abbie Lancaster tossed 4.2 innings of relief to earn the win for UCO.
Eastern's
Precious Aguirre singled one out into the bottom of the third and stole second base. She got the Greyhounds on the board on a ground ball from
Audrey Velasquez.
Against Southeastern Oklahoma
Eastern wasted little time getting on the board in the first game against the Savage Storm since the 2011 season. One out into the game, Burke and Chandler cracked back-to-back homers to give the Hounds a 2-0 lead.
Cameron Conrad had a RBI single in the third, and Eastern added a second Chandler homer, followed by a RBI single from
Samantha Brockman for a 5-0 lead in the third inning
Freshman pitcher
Alyssa Lovato allowed just two baserunners through three innings, but a two-run double from Jordyn James in the Storm fourth inning closed the gap to 5-2. Southeastern Oklahoma sent six batters to the plate in the bottom of the seventh inning and scored four runs to win the game on a walk-off error.
The Greyhounds held a 9-7 edge in base hits. Conrad batted two-for-three. Lovato fanned four batters. Emily Cudd, the fourth pitcher of the game for SOSU, tossed two innings of scoreless relief to earn the win.
"Both of our freshman pitchers,
Kaylee Rogers and
Alyssa Lovato had great games," Welborn added. "You expect freshman to be nervous, but the both on separate occasions looked at me and said, ' I've got this coach.' Nothing makes me feel more confident than a freshman playing like a senior."
The Eastern New Mexico University softball team will return to action on Saturday, to play Southwestern Oklahoma State. The contest originally listed as an afternoon game, will be played at 8:30 a.m. MST.
Senior first baseman
Erikka Burke registered a two-for-three performance at the plate, as the Eastern New Mexico University softball team (1-0) opened the season against 20
th-ranked University of Central Oklahoma (1-0). The Bronchos opened action in the Southeastern Oklahoma State Regional Tournament with a 9-1 victory over the Greyhounds.
The Eastern New Mexico University softball team will continue play at the tournament this afternoon against Southeastern Oklahoma State.
